Question

Mica is a ______ conductor of electricity:
A) Good.
B) Bad.
C) Positive.
D) None of the above.

Answer 1

Mica is non-metal which is which chemically inert, mica is lightweight, the mica also weights from opaque to transparent. Mica can withstand high temperature but is stable upto temperature $500^\circ C$. Mica is used in electrical industries for making capacitors for high frequency and also for radio frequency.

Complete step by step solution:
It is asked in the problem about the conduction of electricity of mica. The conduction of heat and electricity in metals depends upon the free electrons that metal has on its surface. In non-metals the thermal conductivity has nothing to do with the free electrons and also non-metals doesn’t have free electrons on the surface. The thermal conductivity is related with the lattice vibration, so the thermal conduction of the mica is good but the surface of the mica doesn’t have free electrons and therefore mica is a bad conductor of electrical conduction.

The correct answer for this problem is option B.

Additional information: The mica material is a non-metal and therefore it doesn’t have any free electrons on the surface of the earth and hence the electrical conduction of mica is none. Mica is a material which is stable in the extreme temperature conditions, exposure to light and electricity. Mica can be used in materials which are used in high-heat stability.

Note: The metals have free electrons on its surface and the movement of electrons make the flow of current possible. The metals have excess electrons and therefore the surface of the metal has electrons on the surface of the metal.